SFGate: Day in Pictures

December 19, 2011 9:01 AM

Photo: Eric S. Swist, Associated Press

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Rupert, a 7-month-old Dachshund, licks the face of volunteer Patrick Ashton, dressed as Santa Claus, during a fundraising event for the Montgomery County Animal Shelter at a Petsmart location on Sunday, Dec. 18, 2011, in Shenandoah, Texas. Pet owners brought their animals for a chance to pose for a photograph with Santa Claus with half the proceeds of photo sales going to support the shelter. (AP Photo/Conroe Courier, Eric S. Swist) less

Rupert, a 7-month-old Dachshund, licks the face of volunteer Patrick Ashton, dressed as Santa Claus, during a fundraising event for the Montgomery County Animal Shelter at a Petsmart location on Sunday, Dec. ... more

Italy's Massimiliano Blardone pours sparkling wine over his head as he celebrates on the podium after winning an alpine ski, men's World Cup giant slalom in Alta Badia, Italy, Sunday, Dec. 18, 2011. Massimiliano Blardone has won the challenging Gran Risa giant slalom Sunday in a combined time of 2 minutes 46.49 seconds. (AP Photo/Alex Trovati) less

Italy's Massimiliano Blardone pours sparkling wine over his head as he celebrates on the podium after winning an alpine ski, men's World Cup giant slalom in Alta Badia, Italy, Sunday, Dec. 18, 2011. ... more

Residents retrieve their household items from their house which landed on a concrete fence of a mansion Monday, Dec. 19, 2011 in Iligan city, southern Philippines. Tropical storm Washi blew away Monday after devastating the southern Philippines with flash floods that killed hundreds of people as they slept and turned two coastal cities into a muddy wasteland filled with overturned cars and uprooted trees. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez) less

Residents retrieve their household items from their house which landed on a concrete fence of a mansion Monday, Dec. 19, 2011 in Iligan city, southern Philippines. Tropical storm Washi blew away Monday after ... more

Photo: Bullit Marquez, AP

Residents retrieve their household items from their house which... Photo-1954258.33790 - SFGate

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A kitten checks out the new digs in the Virginia Beach Animal Care and Adoption Center on Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2011. Animal Control staff and volunteers moved 108 dogs, 91 cats, plus exotic animals to their new location in Virginia Beach, Va. on Tuesday. (AP Photo/The Virginian-Pilot, Preston Gannaway) less

A kitten checks out the new digs in the Virginia Beach Animal Care and Adoption Center on Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2011. Animal Control staff and volunteers moved 108 dogs, 91 cats, plus exotic animals to their new ... more

Photo: Preston Gannaway, AP

A kitten checks out the new digs in the Virginia Beach Animal Care... Photo-1954259.33790 - SFGate

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A wave brakes on the stranded TK Bremen cargo ship on a beach at Erdeven, near Lorient, France, Saturday, Dec. 17, 2011. High winds beached a cargo ship off France's Atlantic coast Thursday, as some 220 tons of fuel in its hold threatened to leak onto the local beach. (AP Photo/David Vincent) less

A wave brakes on the stranded TK Bremen cargo ship on a beach at Erdeven, near Lorient, France, Saturday, Dec. 17, 2011. High winds beached a cargo ship off France's Atlantic coast Thursday, as some 220 tons of ... more

In this photo released by China's Xinhua News Agency, a pair of twin giraffes "Ping Ping" and "An An" is pictured in Shijiazhuang, capital of north China's Hebei Province, Saturday, Dec. 17, 2011. Shijiazhuang Zoo invited more than 10 pairs of twin children to celebrate the one-year-old birthday for China's first twin giraffes here on Saturday, Xinhua said. (AP Photo/Xinhua, Ding Lixin) NO SALES less

In this photo released by China's Xinhua News Agency, a pair of twin giraffes "Ping Ping" and "An An" is pictured in Shijiazhuang, capital of north China's Hebei Province, Saturday, Dec. 17, 2011. Shijiazhuang ... more

Photo: Ding Lixin, AP

In this photo released by China's Xinhua News Agency, a pair... Photo-1954260.33790 - SFGate

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An Egyptian book restoration official arranges burnt pages of the original ancient copy identified as "Le Description de L'Egypt", (The Description of Egypt,) written by scientists who came with Napoleon Bonaparte's expedition to Egypt in the late 18th century, which were saved from the research center in Cairo, Egypt, Monday, Dec. 19, 2011. The building was almost completely gutted by a fire which broke out during the height of the clashes on Saturday, when troops on its roof and on other nearby rooftops hurled rocks down on protesters below. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil) less

An Egyptian book restoration official arranges burnt pages of the original ancient copy identified as "Le Description de L'Egypt", (The Description of Egypt,) written by scientists who came with Napoleon ... more

Photo: Amr Nabil, AP

An Egyptian book restoration official arranges burnt pages of the... Photo-1954262.33790 - SFGate

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Amanda, a mountain lion at the Orange County Zoo at Irvine Regional Park in Irvine, Calif., opens up a Christmas present on Saturday, Dec. 17, 2011 . The zoo wraps treats in gift boxes for the animals and places Christmas trees inside the exhibit for the holidays. (AP Photo/Orange County Register, Ana Venegas) MAGS OUT; LOS ANGELES TIMES OUT MBO less

Amanda, a mountain lion at the Orange County Zoo at Irvine Regional Park in Irvine, Calif., opens up a Christmas present on Saturday, Dec. 17, 2011 . The zoo wraps treats in gift boxes for the animals and ... more

Photo: Ana Venegas, AP

Amanda, a mountain lion at the Orange County Zoo at Irvine Regional... Photo-1954263.33790 - SFGate

A decorated elephant reaches out for cinnamon leaves on a tractor during a cinnamon festival in Seenigama, about 80 kilometers (50 miles) south of Colombo, Sri Lanka, Saturday, Dec. 17, 2011. Sri Lankan farmers and traders involved in cinnamon trading participated in a parade carrying cinnamon quills, seedlings and leaves from their harvest to offer at the Seenigama temple, dedicated to local deity Devol, as an offering of thanksgiving for a good harvest. (AP Photo/ Eranga Jayawardena) less

A decorated elephant reaches out for cinnamon leaves on a tractor during a cinnamon festival in Seenigama, about 80 kilometers (50 miles) south of Colombo, Sri Lanka, Saturday, Dec. 17, 2011. Sri Lankan farmers ... more

Photo: Eranga Jayawardena, AP

A decorated elephant reaches out for cinnamon leaves on a tractor... Photo-1948598.33790 - SFGate

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TOPSHOTS
The Soyuz TMA-03M rocket of the International Space Station (ISS) Expedition 31 is transported to a launch pad in the Russian leased Kazakh Baikonur cosmodrome, on December 19, 2011.The launch of the Soyuz TMA-03M with an international crew aboard including US astronaut Donald Pettit, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko and Dutch astronaut Andre Kuipers, is scheduled on December 21. AFP PHOTO/ KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV (Photo credit should read KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV/AFP/Getty Images) less

TOPSHOTS
The Soyuz TMA-03M rocket of the International Space Station (ISS) Expedition 31 is transported to a launch pad in the Russian leased Kazakh Baikonur cosmodrome, on December 19, 2011.The launch of the ... more

Photo: Kirill Kudryavtsev, AFP/Getty Images

TOPSHOTS
The Soyuz TMA-03M rocket of the International Space... Photo-1954265.33790 - SFGate

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Clouds are seen after the sunset at Arpoador beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Friday Dec. 16, 2011. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)

Clouds are seen after the sunset at Arpoador beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Friday Dec. 16, 2011. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)

Photo: Felipe Dana, AP

Clouds are seen after the sunset at Arpoador beach in Rio de... Photo-1954266.33790 - SFGate